The present invention generally relates to the collection of recyclable materials and more particularly to an apparatus for the curbside collection of co-mingled recyclable materials.
For various reasons, it has become increasingly desirable to recover usable materials from household refuse. Among the reasons which can be cited for this increase is the heightened environmental awareness of the public regarding the decreased availability of raw materials and the decreased availability of land-fill space.
The curbside recovery of recyclable materials such as glass, aluminum and paper is typically performed by having the materials separated into compatible groups for recycling purposes. At the source of the refuse, the household, the recyclable materials are typically separated and stored in containers which must be individually transported to the curbside for scheduled pickup. Requiring the residential customer to separate the recyclable materials often results in decreased participation, particularly in voluntary recycling programs. This decrease in participation may be attributed to the inconvenience experienced by the residential customers in familiarizing themselves with the various types of recyclable materials, the inconvenience in actually separating the recyclable materials, and the inconvenience in carrying a number of recycling bins to the curbside.
Often, while attempting to comply with the separation requirements for curbside pickup, a residential customer will unintentionally combine or co-mingle non-compatible recyclable materials, thus requiring the refuse collector to either refuse pickup or separate the recyclable materials. Unfortunately, present collection vehicles are not designed with the intention of increasing the ease with which the collector can separate comingled recyclable materials. Rather, presently available vehicle designs are specifically aimed at utilization of the vehicle with pre-sorted recyclable materials. For this reason, pickup of co-mingled recyclable materials is normally refused.
With the above discussion in mind, it is an object of the present invention to induce a greater public acceptance of recycling programs in general, and voluntary recycling programs in particular. To this end, the present invention seeks to increase the convenience of recycling for the residential customer by providing for the collection of co-mingled recyclable materials. Another object of this invention is to increase the ease with which a collector can pickup co-mingled recyclable materials and separate the recyclable materials according to recycling compatibility.
An additional object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for the residential customer to carry numerous recycling bins to the curbside for collection thereby increasing participation in the recycling program.
It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the start-up cost of a community recycling program by providing an economical alternative to the present collection vehicles. As such, the present invention may be used by an entity in combination with existing vehicles or may be used as a separate and distinct collection vehicle. The apparatus itself is capable of being utilized in either a trailering variety or motorized vehicle variety.
In achieving the above objects, the present invention provides for an apparatus which is an economical solution for implementing curbside recycling programs where the recyclable materials may readily be received in co-mingled state. The apparatus is generally a wheel supported structure having a number of receiving bins longitudinally positioned along its opposing sides. A walkway is generally defined between the receiving bins. A carriage assembly, which includes a receptacle having an opening for receiving the co-mingled recyclable materials, is mounted to permit movement of the receptacle along the walkway.
The carriage assembly includes means for securing the receptacle in a substantially stationary position where it may be easily accessed by the collector permitting the transferring of the co-mingled recyclable materials from the curbside into the receptacle. Once the receptacle becomes filled with co-mingled recyclable materials, the receptacle can be moved by the collector, generally along the walkway, as the collector separates the co-mingled recyclable materials, depositing them into specific receiving bins which contain items that are compatible for recycling purposes.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.